Monday, April 30, 2007

In the summer of 2004, me and CFZ director Jon Downes traveled to the island of Puerto Rico on a week-long expedition with a film-crew in search of the deadly, vampire-like Chupacabra.

For the last year or so, Jon has been writing a book on that expedition; and having now read the completed 70,000-words that Jon has written so far, I can safely say that this will be one of the most significant titles on the creature published thus far. In this photo, Jon takes a break in a Puerto Rican cave - one of the dark and sinister locations that we investigated during our search for the monster.

With the working-title of The Island of Paradise: Crash-Retrievals, Chupacabra, and Accelerated Evolution on the Island of Puerto Rico, this is a book that I heartily recommend to anyone and everyone interested in the mystery of the beast of Puerto Rico.

I should stress that Jon still has quite a bit of writing to do on the book; and so it's probably still going to be a while before it ultimately surfaces in published form; but before then, check out the following extract from The Island of Paradise that Jon has generously allowed you to see in advance:

In the words of the good Mr. Downes himself:

"One of the most irritating parts of filming is that one spends nearly as much time establishing shots as you do actually filming anything. However, on this occasion the guardian spirits of crypto-investigative methodology were on our side.

"The huge articulated lorry which had been following us all week was stuck somewhere down in the lowlands, and it appeared that – for once – we had plenty of time to actually interview a witness without being impeded by the dull and repetitive business of making a TV documentary. It soon turned out, however, that whatever it was that Norka had seen, and experienced on a number of occasions, it was not the Chupacabra.

"She told us how, about ten years before, she had found that one of her dogs was missing. After sending out a search party, she was horrified when they returned with the corpse of her pet. It was nothing she had ever seen before. All the flesh and the bones had been removed and in her broken English, with plenty of hand gestures, she communicated the sheer horror of the event to us.

"Apparently, neighbors of hers started reporting similar instances; and when, one evening in early summer, she was driving home from Canóvanas, and saw a strange creature in the road before her, she had no doubt that this was what had caused the death of so many pets.

"However, the thing she described was nothing like the Chupacabra that we had grown to know so well, but it was something that Nick and I both immediately recognized. As she told us of the bipedal creature with claw-like feet and red glowing eyes, we looked at each other; and in a moment which, if it had been scripted, could have come straight out of a Scooby-Doo cartoon, we said to each other, almost immediately: 'Jesus, man, it’s the bloody Owlman!'

"As Norka told us of the shadowy creature with its covering of grey fur or feathers (she was not sure) my mind went back to another series of events which started off at Easter, 1976 in another monster-haunted woodland half a world away.

"I owe the Owlman a heck of a lot. If it had not been for my ten year quest to solve the mystery of the creature that has been seen again and again in the woods surrounding Mawnan Old Church in southern Cornwall, I would certainly not be in the position I am today.

"My book, The Owlman and Others, has sold more than all my other books put together and pretty well made my reputation. These days, I prefer to hunt flesh and blood animals, and do my best to stay clear of the less tangible denizens of this planet, knowing full well that hunting such things is no good for your spiritual, mental or physical health.

"So I was horrified at the thought that I was, apparently, back on a path that I had sworn never to revisit. However, Norka continued and told us of a series of other sightings, both of the Owlman-type creature and of a more conventional Chupacabra crossing the road in the immediate vicinity of her house.

"It was interesting to note that, when compared to the Owlman-type creature, the spiky animal seemed far more matter of fact and, although with hindsight it is easy to reinterpret events to suit one’s current mindset, I am sure that, whereas Norka was only too aware that the Owlman was no flesh and blood animal, the spiky animal most definitely was."

Thursday, April 26, 2007

In 2004, I traveled to Puerto Rico's El Yunque rain-forest (see above) with CFZ Director Jon Downes, as we sought out the deadly, vampiricChupacabras. In 2005, Fate magazine published an article from me on our excursion, extracts of which can now be found online. If you blow up the photo, ignore the date stamp at the bottom, which says 1992. I had camera-setting problems!

Jon had made a previous visit to the mysterious island in 1998 - an expedition that resulted in the publication of Jon's book on the affair: Only Fools and Goat-Suckers. If you are in any way interested in Puerto Rico's most famous monster, I urge you to check out Jon's title. You will not be disappointed.

The creation of a CFZ Museum is a dream that Jon Downes has had for years. I well recall traveling down to Jon's old home in Exeter, England, nearly 10 years ago, when Jon's ever-present passion for cryptozoology led him to come up with the vision of establishing a self-contained museum where all manner of zoological oddities could be put on display for visitors to the CFZ.

Now that Jon has inherited - from his late father - the ancestral home in the village of Woolfardisworthy, the CFZ Museum is finally becoming a reality, as Jon notes:

"Construction of the museum is well under way, and we hope that the rest of the floor will be laid today. We would like to thank Travis Perkins builder’s merchants http://www.travisperkins.co.uk/ for having generously sponsored this leg of the project.

"However, the project is proving far more expensive than we had originally envisaged, and further stages of construction may have to wait until we can either raise the money, or get further sponsorship.

"Here’s your chance to help. If you go to: http://www.cfz.org.uk/mus/index.htm you can make a donation to help us proceed. Every dollar and every pound helps, so if you are interested in what we do please help us. If everybody on our mailing list alone was to donate just £5 or $10 we would have enough to complete phases 1 and 2 of the museum plans immediately.

"The name of every person who makes a donation through this web-page will be placed on the museum website, and on a board in the museum itself, marking them as a benefactor. People can also sponsor a particular exhibit or animal for a year, and their name will be displayed prominently on the exhibit.

"The concept of the museum is to present evidence for the existence of unknown animals (cryptids),alongside exhibits illustrating the habitat where these creatures are reported to live. The first four `habitats` will be: the Central African rainforest; the Southern USA swampland; the Amazon Basin; and the Southeast Asian hillstream.

"Alongside these habitats will be exhibits detailing local freshwater and marine ecology, and their links to such local mystery animals such as 'The Beast of Exmoor.' Other "habitats" will be added as time goes on, and there will also be permanent exhibitions, consisting of computer installations and specimens brought back from our expeditions to Puerto Rico; Thailand; Sumatra; The Gambia and Mongolia."

This is your chance to become actively involved in the creation of the CFZ Museum; and Jon welcomes anyone and everyone to contact him at www.cfz.org.uk

BIG CAT CONFERENCE:At the end of March, Corinna, Mark, Oll and I attended the first annual British Big Cat conference hosted by the BCIB group. It was a very illuminating event, and a full account of it can be found at http://forteanzoolo It includes an exclusive piece of video of my interview with Di Francis and Jonathan McGowan.

ANIMALS & MENISSUE40:The latest edition - issue 40 - of our journal Animals & Men is now complete, and will be mailed out in the next few days. The contents (with page numbers listed) are:

The contents for this issue are:THE BLAKEMERE MERMAID OF MORRIDGE, AND MERMAIDS OF OTHER PLACES by Lisa DowleyMAN-TIGERS by Jon HareTHE MYSTERY MENAGERIE OF GLAMORGAN by Oll LewisIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT by Noela Marshall MackenzieNUMBERED CATFISH by David Marshall with photographs by Dr Iggy TavaresBOGEYMEN OF ARGENTINA by Neil ArnoldTHE SEAL SERPENT The Case For the Surreal Seal by Robert Cornes

Despite our previous announcement to the contrary, the old yearbooks will gradually be re-released in perfect bound format. As the current ring-bound editions are sold out, we shall be reformatting them all.

The first of these reissues is the 2004 edition which will be available in about ten days price £12.50/$US25. If you want to pre-order your copy, you can do so at a special discount price of £10/$US20 via paypal using the http://us.f831.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=jon%40eclipse.co.uk account. To qualify for this discount, please mark your order "CFZ2004YB Offer."

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE:The following books are currently in preparation, and will be released very soon:Big Cats Loose in Britain by Marcus MatthewsMonster! The A-Z of Zooform Phenomena by Neil ArnoldDark Dorset - Tales of Mystery, Wonder and Terror by Mark North and Robert Newland

The following books will be released by CFZ Press in the next few months:The Man Monkey of Ranton by Nick RedfernExtraordinary Animals Revisited by Dr Karl ShukerOrder of the Dragon by Mike Hallowell, Richard Freeman, and Jonathan Downes

THE CFZ MUSEUM:Construction of the museum is well under way, and we hope that the rest of the floor will be laid today. We would like to thank Travis Perkins builder's merchants http://www.travisperkins.co.uk/ for having generously sponsored this leg of the project. However, the project is proving far more expensive than we had originally envisaged, and further stages of construction may have to wait until we can either raise the money, or get further sponsorship.

Here's your chance to help. If you go to:http://www.cfz.org.uk/mus/index.htm you can make a donation to help us proceed. Every dollar and every pound helps, so if you are interested in what we do please help us. If everybody on our mailing list alone was to donate just £5 or $10 we would have enough to complete phases 1 and 2 of the museum plans immediately.

The name of every person who makes a donation through this web-page will be placed on the museum website, and on a board in the museum itself, marking them as a benefactor. People can also sponsor a particular exhibit or animal for a year, and their name will be displayed prominently on the exhibit.

For news on how the building work is progressing, with a slide-show and a film clip:http://forteanzoolo

THE WEIRD WEEKEND CONFERENCE AUGUST 17th-19th 2007:Weird Weekend tickets are now on sale. You can buy them through our eBay shop here:

The Weird Weekend is the largest yearly gathering of mystery animal investigators in the English-speaking world. Having run unbroken for seven years, the convention attracts speakers and visitors from all over the world and showcases the findings of strange phenomena investigators.

Cryptozoologists, parapsychologists, ufologists, and folklorists are descending on Woolfardisworthy Community Centre to share their findings and insights. Unlike other events, the Weird Weekend will also include workshops giving tips to budding paranormal investigators, and even a programme of special events for children.

The Weird Weekend is the only fortean conference in the world that is truly a family event, although those veterans of previous events should be reassured that it is still as anarchically silly as ever! The event is raising money for the Centre for Fortean Zoology, the world's only full time, professional cryptozoological organisation.

At this stage - five months before the event - this timetable is ridiculously provisional, and the CFZ take no responsibility for disappointment caused by the non-appearance of any of the advertised speakers.

As always we would like to stress that running the CFZ is an expensive business, and we need as much help as we can get. If there is anybody out there who is minded to give us gifts of time, expertise, equipment, or money then please get in touch.

If you are not a member, why not think about joining. You can do it online at our website or by post from the CFZ office. Subscriptions are £12 (UK) £15 (EEC) £22 (Rest of world). You get four issues of our journal, and the chance to join in our activities around the world.. Onwards and Upwards, Jon.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

On Saturday 29 September of this year, along with conspiracy author Jim Marrs and ghost-hunter Joshua Warren, I'll be speaking at the second leg of the Dark 30 Tour, which will be held in Asheville, North Carolina.

As well as lecturing on my books Celebrity Secrets and On the Trail of the Saucer Spies, I'll be speaking in-depth about my two expeditions to Puerto Rico in search of the infamous, blood-sucking Chupacabras - arguably one of the strangest cryptozoological puzzles of the last two decades.

You can expect to see some intriguing photographs relating to my quests to find the beast, as well as learning the stunning facts pertaining to never-before-seen - and startling - witness testimony to the dark activities of the creature.

If you're even remotely interested in cryptozoology, the paranormal and more, the Dark 30 Tour is one you will not want to miss.

John tell us that, thus far, he has compiled intriguing data on a wealth of strange creatures - some with truly entertaining names, such as: Bloody Bones; the Booger Cats; the Booger Dog; the Booger Under Nob Hill; the Camden Sea Serpent; the Creature in the Hole; an eastern cougar sub-species; giant birds [Piasa birds; Thunderbirds]; giant catfish; giant centipedes; giant frogs; the Gowerow/ Gower; Graveyard Dogs; the Hornet Light; various lake monsters, such as the beasts of Lake CreveCoeur and the Lake of the Ozarks; the Missouri River “dragon” of 1857-58; the Momo; the Moon-Eyes; the Old Black Booger; Old RawHead; Old Sheff; Old Walleyes; the Ozark Howler; the monsters of the Kansas River, the Mississippi River, and the Missouri River; and much more.

We are most definitely looking forward to seeing John's finished report; and we urge anyone with any data that might assist John in his quest to write the definitive "Missouri-Monster" paper to contact him at http://www.myspace.com/JohnAKABrojo

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

While many cryptozoologists are content to focus their investigations solely on those unknown beasts in our midst that seem to be purely physical in nature, the work of the CFZ often straddles that murky line between the physical and the paranormal. For me, that has been typified by my research into tales of werewolf encounters in the UK.

Do I believe that at the sight of a full moon, normally respectable members of British society are sprouting hair and claws while at the same time emitting savage growls and unholy howls? No, I do not.

But I do believe that witnesses to werewolves are seeing something. Indeed, most of the reports I have investigated on behalf of the CFZ in the UK have a distinct air of the paranormal about them.

Monday, April 16, 2007

We are very pleased to announce that a CFZ promotional-video that describes the history, policy, research, expeditions, goals and values of the organization is now available for viewing. Click here to join in the adventure.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Check out a second post from CFZ Director Jon Downes on the controversial theory that Britain may be home to an indigenous Big Cat. This one includes a You Tube video interview with a firsthand witness to a very strange British Big Cat.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Never let it be said that the CFZ steers away from confronting controversial issues. There can be few people with a passion for cryptozoology who have not heard of the so-called "Beast of Bodmin" and the "Beast of Exmoor" - those Big-Cats said to be roaming the wilder (and, indeed, at times not so wild) parts of the British Isles by day and night.

For the most part, theories concerning the origins of these mysterious beasts generally tend to focus upon the possibility that today's British big-cats are the descendants of exotic pets released into the wild by their owners in 1976, following the passing of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act - an act that required such owners to have an official (and, it must be stressed, very expensive) license.

Undoubtedly, some such beasts did enter the wilds of Britain in precisely that same fashion. There is, however, a far more intriguing and controversial theory - and it is one that posits that the British Isles is home to an unknown indigenous Big Cat.

Every so often here at the CFZ we're asked to write forewords to new books on various aspects of cryptozoology. And I figured that now would be a good time to bring to your attention two titles that I have provided forewords to: namely Hunting the American Werewolf by Linda Godfrey and Backyard Bigfoot by Lisa Shiel.

Ever since I was a little kid, I have been fascinated by tales of werewolves; and so when Linda - whose acclaimed werewolf book The Beast of Bray Road I had already read - asked me to write the foreword for Hunting, I immediately said yes.

This is one of those books that, if you are into some of the weirder and paranormal aspects of cryptozoology you cannot afford to miss.

The same goes for Lisa Shiel'sBackyard Bigfoot, for which I also provided a foreword. Particularly notable about Lisa's book - which focuses on connections between Bigfoot encounters, UFOs and more - is that not only is she the author; but a first-hand participant in the story too.

I would urge anyone interested in the fringe elements and less well traveled areas of cryptozoology to dig deep into both titles. You won't be disappointed.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

When the CFZ took its first steps back in the early 1990s, pretty much everything was done on a shoestring, as your good director, Jon Downes, sought to make his dream of creating the premier cryptozoological research group a reality.

I recall - with a high degree of nostalgia - standing over the photocopier for hours at a time with Jon during this period as we cranked out copy after copy of Jon's then-self-published books, magazines, and more; carefully and laboriously stapling or ring-binding them all together.

But, in 2007, things are very different.

The days of old are long gone; and today the CFZ uses a professional, state-of-the-art publisher to put out numerous books per year on a whole variety of cryptozoogical issues; the quality of which - we are pleased to say - is identical to anything that you will find on the shelves of your local Barnes & Noble.

Those wanting to know more about the CFZ titles currently available should click here. As you will see, the current listing is both long and varied; and includes Jon's The Owlman and Others; his autobiography Monster Hunter; Monster of the Mere; Only Fools and Goat Suckers; as well as CFZ zoological director Richard Freeman's Dragons: More Than A Myth?; The CFZ Zoology Expedition Report 2006: Gambia; two titles from Jon's late father; Ken Gerhard's Big Bird! (which is a study of monster-sized birds in the US); and many more.

On a related matter: the CFZ is aiming to publish around another 20 books this year; and as a result we invite anyone who is looking to get published and who has a cryptozoological-driven story to contact us.

We offer an excellent service provided by a superb publisher; and, as I stated above, all CFZ books are easily on a par with anything, quality-wise, that you will find in a regular book-shop.

If you're in the US, and you have a book idea or a manuscript that you want to see in print, contact me at this blog. If you're outside the US, contact CFZ director, Jon Downes at the official CFZ website for details.

Whether it's a book on Bigfoot, lake-monsters, sea-serpents, or something even stranger, we're interested.

The new issue of the CFZ's magazine, Animals & Men, is almost with us. There's a slight delay due to a family illness in the UK, but that will soon be rectified.

Meanwhile, and to whet your collective appetites, here's what you can expect to see when the magazine goes to print: a new Editorial; the Faculty of the CFZ; the latest news on all things cryptozoological; an Obituaries section; an informative piece on the Aquatic monster study group; a Bigfoot notebook; my regular Letter from America; data on Canadian River Monsters; a piece on Squirrel Attacks(!); and a major feature on the creature of Llangorse Lake.

And, of course, there will be the latest on CFZ People; CFZ News; Letters; Reviews; musings from The Sycophant; and the regular cartoon from resident CFZ artist-extraordinaire, Mark North

Monday, April 9, 2007

Also now on board with the CFZ is John D. Wooldridge: our representative from the Springfield area of Missouri.

Born in 1973, John studied genetics at college, majored in Horticulture, worked in a bio-hazard lab in the field of transgenic organisms, and also worked on the wheat-breeding program for the entire state of Missouri.

As John states: "I collect all items relating to Ogopogo and to The Jersey Devil; I also have a large collection of cryptozoology figures, including 'Monster In My Pocket', 'Shadowbox Collectibles', Medicom Toy's 'The Great Mystery Museum Collection', UHA's 'Collect Club', UMA's/Heart's 'Super Mystery Magazine MU', and others. I am one of about the six most dedicated "Monster In My Pocket" collectors in the world & I own many extremely rare MIMP items. I had an article entitled Plant The Seed! which was published in the Autumn 1994 issue of The Sacred Record, which is the newsletter of The Peyote Way Church."

We're very pleased to welcome aboard James P. "Pat" Akin as CFZ regional representative for the state of Georgia.

Pat's research group, the South Eastern Skunk Ape Research Center, is doing excellent, solid, intriguing work and having him on board is something that both Jon and I know will be a huge bonus to both the work of the CFZ and its activities within the US.

Pat will be preparing for us - and for your viewing enjoyment and interest - an article on his research into the field of Skunk Ape and Bigfoot encounters in Georgia and its surrounding areas; as well as keeping us informed of cryptozoological activity in his area.

In return, we'll be highlighting for you the work of Pat and his group, now that we have made a welcome connection that will hopefully benefit everyone and add to the ever-growing CFZnetwork.

I urge you to check out the official website of the SESARC, which in part states:

"In 1997, the original investigative unit of SESARC was formed. In those days, we were called The Georgia Swamp Ape Research Center. The Georgia Swamp Ape Research Center was founded due to the discovery of the plaster imprint commonly called 'The Elkins Creek Cast.'

"The cast was made by James Akin and had been stored in his closet until he mentioned it to Steve Hyde. Hyde felt that the cast deserved further study and convinced Akin to send it to Dr. Grover Krantz. Later, it made the rounds in the Pacific Northwest and was finally verified as meeting the criteria of a legitimate cast.

"Dr. Jeff Meldrum and Mr. Jimmy Chilcutt verified that the cast was authentic and the first one from the eastern United States to be found legitimate. Thus GSARC was born.

"The pursuit team was formed and during later years of the 1990s explored the southland for signs of Sasquatch. It explored many areas in the Georgia, the Appalachian mountains, the Florida Everglades and points beyond.

"GSARC has now transformed into the Southeastern Skunk Ape Research Center. While we maintain the rights to the GSARC name: we intend to explore beyond the conventional borders of our state and of scientific convention. In short, SESARC is the logical successor to the legacy established by James Akin and Steve Hyde and GSARC.

"GSARC was based on pure scientific research. SESARC is based upon these same precepts.Science, pure science, is the SESARC battle cry! We are seeking the solution to this mystery in the field, the laboratory and in the think tanks of the university.

"Please come along with us as we endeavor to enlighten our society and to discover new life forms that live cryptically among us!"

Friday, April 6, 2007

The Center for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) is the world's only full-time investigative group dedicated to the study of unknown animals.

We put out a regular, glossy-covered magazine titled Animals & Men; we have published more than twenty books on various cryptozoological cases and mysteries (see my post this coming Monday for data on the CFZ's books, as well as an appeal that we will be launching encouraging new authors to come on-board); and we regularly undertake expeditions around the world in search of all things monstrous (over the course of the last 10 years, CFZ members have made 3 trips to Puerto Rico in search of the vampire-like Chupacabras; a journey to the Gambia to investigate reports of a multitude of weird beasts; to Thailand in search of giant snakes; and to Mongolia in search of a creature that has come to be known as the "Death Worm").

If all of this gets your attention and interest, and you want to become a part of the CFZ, learn the latest from the world of cryptozoology, get involved with the group, and more, click here for details of how to join.

We thank you all indeed; every email sent to the CFZ is always read and is greatly appreciated.

One of the most interesting items came from John Weatherley, who was kind enough to allow us to share with you his memories of a close encounter of the giant-eel kind. Thanks, John! It's an account that we are actively researching to try and uncover more data on; and if anything surfaces we will post it to this blog.

For your reading pleasure, here's John's account:

"Greetings Jon,"I enjoyed your interview on Coast to Coast AM this morning - (3 AM here in Florida). I was particularly interest in your theory regarding giant eels in northern lakes e.g. Loch Ness. Perhaps you could help me identify the creatures that I and many hundreds saw a few years ago?"I am British and live in Florida. My family and I came to Florida by sea from Australia in 1969. Our ship left Acuapulco and sailed along the west coast towards the Panama canal. It was the first week of July 1969. The sea was calm and we were cruising quite slowly because of congestion in the canal."As we cruised along the west coast of Costa Rica and Panama we were about 7 or 8 miles from shore and just a few yards from the flotsam line. It was clearly defined line of sea weed about 30 feet wide with odd bits of wood and the occasional small tree limb,"We cruised along this path for several hours in bright sunshine between about 10 AM and 2 PM. There were many fish visible and some very large turtles but the significant sighting were huge eels. These creatures were always in pairs and we saw a pair perhaps every 20 minutes or so."They averaged about 15 feet long and had a diameter of about 1.5 feet. They were khaki or olive in colour and were identical to the eels for which I used to fish as a boy in my home town of Canterbury Kent, except they were so large. They were lazily swimming very slowly along through the flotsam or just wallowing at the very surface."The ship was carrying about 1200 passengers and most were on deck on this idyllic day so the eels were seen by many people. Most were engaged in counting the enormous numbers of sharks which were clearly visible around the ship."I wonder if you have any idea what species of eel these were? They could easily have swallowed a child or a small adult. Regards, John Weatherley."

Since 2000, the CFZ has held an annual conference; and each year we have gone from strength to strength. This year is no exception, with a great line-up of speakers. If you are going to be in the UK this August, check it out. You won't be disappointed.

This year's event will be on the 17-19 August in Woolfardisworthy, North Devon. The Weird Weekend is the largest yearly gathering of mystery animal investigators in the English-speaking world. Having run unbroken for seven years, the convention attracts speakers and visitors from all over the world and showcases the findings of strange phenomena investigators.

Cryptozoologists, parapsychologists, ufologists, and folklorists are descending on Woolfardisworthy Community Centre to share their findings and insights. Unlike other events, the Weird Weekend will also include workshops giving tips to budding paranormal investigators, and even a programme of special events for children.

The Weird Weekend is the only fortean conference in the world that is truly a family event, although those veterans of previous events should be reassured that it is still as anarchically silly as ever!

The event is raising money for the Centre for Fortean Zoology, the world’s only full time, professional cryptozoological organisation. At this stage - five months before the event - this timetable is ridiculously provisional, and the CFZ take no responsibility for disappointment caused by the non-appearance of any of the advertised speakers.

Here's the schedule:

THURSDAY: 7.00 p.m Cocktail party at the CFZ. All are welcome at Myrtle Cottage, Woolsery, Bideford, North Devon EX39 5Q

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Here at the US Office of the CFZ, we are always looking for volunteers to help us in our quest to uncover the cryptozoological mysteries of the United States.

We are looking for anyone and everyone that can undertake field research, interview witnesses, and submit news and information from their own areas of the US, and that can be posted at this blog and published in the CFZ magazine, Animals & Men.

We want to create a team of dedicated researchers, investigators, writers and explorers States-side who are up for a challenge, enjoy adventure, intrigue and the search for the unknown, and are willing to share their findings with like-minded individuals.

If this piques your interest in becoming a field representative for the state in which you live, drop me a line here.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

If you're interested in learning the latest news on the activities, expeditions and work of the CFZ, listen in to tonight's Coast to Coast show with George Noory, as CFZ Director Jon Downes will be a featured guest. Check out the Coast to Coast website for details of the broadcast time in your area.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Here at CFZ-USA we like nothing more than a good night out. And so when in October of last year I was invited by Dallas-based playwright, artist, author and producer Bill Fountain to attend a performance of his new theater production on Bigfoot, Hecate Hill, I knew this was an event that I could not afford to miss.

And I was not disappointed: an atmospheric play, Hecate Hill grips right up to the last scene and remains thought provoking throughout. Nodding to Sam Raimi's cult classic film The Evil Dead, Hecate Hill is an atmospheric production with a cast and crew who have worked extremely hard to create a Bigfoot story that abandons accepted wisdom to strike out in welcome, unexpected directions.

I wrote a full review of Hecate Hill in the February 2007 issue of Fortean Times magazine; and further details of the play can be found at Bill's website.

The February 2007 edition of UFO Magazine includes an article from me titled The Crossover Problem that discusses the thorny issue of the many and varied paranormal aspects present in certain cryptozoological cases - including links with the UFO subject - something with which the CFZ is acutely familiar.

As I reveal, such cases are a challenge for both the cryptozoologists and the ufologists of the purely "flesh and blood-nuts and bolts" variety: "Both camps need to realize that neither has the answer to their respective mysteries, and both should treat the crossover cases in the same fashion - and as rigorously - as they would any other encounter. If we fail to look at all of the evidence - whether it sits well in our belief systems or not, it's truly our loss."

In case you missed it, the January 2007 issue of Fate magazine included an extensive, 4-page book review from me of CFZ Zoological Director Richard Freeman's book, Dragons: More Than A Myth?

Richard's interest in cryptozoology goes back to his childhood, and he previously worked as Curator of Reptiles at Britain's Twycross Zoo.

Check out the Fate website for details of how to get hold of back-copies of the magazine.

As Richard astutely states: "The dragon has its teeth and claws deep into the collective psyche of mankind, and it's not about to let go. Our most ancient fear still stalks the earth today. Beware: this is no fairy tale. When your parents told you that there were no such thing as dragons, they lied!"

And as Richard adds: "This is the first time that a trained zoologist, and a former head-keeper at a major zoo, has written about dragons in a serious, scientific fashion that doesn't relegate the subject to just myths and tales. I hope people will realize that I have tracked these animals - in all of their various guises and forms - and have presented the evidence in a way that I believe demonstrates that we do have some very strange beasts living among us."

There can be few reading this who have not heard of the diabolical activities of the so-called Chupacabras of Puerto Rico: that razor-clawed, glowing-eyed beast that has prowled the island, merrily slaughtering - and draining of blood - the local animal population since at least the mid 1990s.

The CFZ has undertaken three expeditions to Puerto Rico in search of the vampire-like beast. The first was in 1998 when CFZ Director Jon Downes and Deputy Director Graham Inglis traveled there with a team from Britain's Channel 4 to make a show for the To the Ends of the Earth series - a story told in fine form in Jon's book Only Fools and Goat-Suckers.

Then in 2004, me and Jon made a week-long trip to Puerto Rico - this time with a team from the Sci-Fi Channel's Proof Positive series. And in late 2005, I made yet another visit there with Canadian film-maker Paul Kimball, who was making a documentary for Canada's Space Channel titled Fields of Fear.

Needless to say, each expedition has led to the discovery of some extraordinary data and eye-opening witness testimony.

And, if you specifically want to learn more about the CFZ's discoveries of the Chupacabras kind, you may want to attend the following gig that I'm speaking at in September in Asheville, North Carolina, where I will be detailing the story of my trips to Puerto Rico in search of the beast, as coordinator of the CFZ's US Office.

New Ghosts, UFOs, and Conspiracy Tour: Jim Marrs, Nick Redfern, Joshua P. Warren, Asheville, N.C. (April, 2007) -- For one night, the world's greatest mysteries converge on Asheville, North Carolina, via three of the country's most notable experts on the weird.

Jim Marrs, Nick Redfern, and Joshua P. Warren make the second stop on their "Dark 30" Tour, which will delve into ghosts, UFOs, strange creatures, conspiracies and secret societies on Saturday, September 29, 2007, 1 p.m., in the Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company, 675 Merrimon Avenue.

The ten-hour-event is designed as the most comprehensive presentation on these controversial subjects ever produced. "The concept was simple," says Warren, event Producer. "Let's take the biggest, most critical questions of our lifetimes and address them face-to-face with the best experts. There are restrictions on what we can say through TV, radio, and other media. But in person, we can finally tell the blunt truth. Some attendees will be uncomfortable, others will be elated. But we're frustrated, and we're ready to talk."

The trio is no stranger to censorship. Marrs, Redfern and Warren all investigated accounts of high strangeness in Roswell, NM, in 2005, and were shocked by the subsequent media cover-up that continues to this day. In addition to individual programs, the three will take the stage together in an open panel discussion on what really happened in Roswell, including new details never before made public.

"We're staking our reputations on this event," Warren stresses. "This is the only way to reach the public without intervention." Jim Marrs is a New York Times best-selling author, whose book "Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy," was a basis for the Oliver Stone film "JFK." His newest book is "The Terror Conspiracy: Deception, 9/11, and the Loss of Liberty." He will speak on conspiracies and secret societies from the dawn of mankind to present day.

British native Nick Redern is the author of numerous books including "Three Men Seeking Monsters," and "On the Trail of the Saucer Spies: UFOs and Government Surveillance." He will present on UFOs and strange creatures, known as cryptids.

Joshua P. Warren, host of Clear Channel's "Speaking of Strange," is the author of numerous books including "How to Hunt Ghosts," and his newest, "Pet Ghosts: Animal Encounters from Beyond the Grave." He will speak on ghostly phenomena and ESP.The event debuted in Kansas City, MO last December. The tour's second stop is Asheville, North Carolina, Warren's home town.

It will be the first trip to Asheville for Jim Marrs and Nick Redfern, both now residents of Texas.In addition to individual presentations and the panel discussion, the program includes a book signing and more.Less than 150 seats are available. Tickets are $55 per person, and must be purchased via http://www.dark30tour.com/ online. More information is also available on the website.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Jonathan Downes was born in Portsmouth, England in 1959 and spent much of his childhood inHong Kong, where, surrounded by age-old Chinese superstitions and a dazzlingly diverse range of exotic wildlife, he soon became infected with the twin passions for exotic zoology and the paranormal which were to define his adult life.

He spent some years as a nurse for the mentally handicapped; but began writing professionally in the late 1980s. He has now written over twenty books. He is also a musician and songwriter, who has made a number of critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums.

In 1992, he founded the Center for Fortean Zoology (CFZ), with the aim of coordinating research into mystery animals, bizarre animal behavior, and his own particular love of zooform phenomena - those paranormal entities which only appear to be animals.

He has searched for lake monsters at Loch Ness, pursued sea serpents, the grotesque Cornish Owlman - which inspired his most famous book, The Owlman and Others - chased big-cats across Britain's West Country, and in 1998 and 2004 traveled to Puerto Rico (the latter expedition with Nick Redfern) in search of the diabolical and vampire-like Chupacabras.

Downes is also an activist for Mental Health issues, having suffered from Bipolar Disorder for many years. In 2005, after having lived in the English city of Exeter for 20 years, he moved to his old family home in Woolsery, North Devon - a picturesque and old English village that looks like something straight out of the Hound of the Baskervilles!

Following his father's death in 2006, Jon has inherited the family home and is in the process of creating the definitive cryptozoological museum and research facility on the considerable grounds of his Woolsery home.

And while the CFZ has countless members, helpers, assistants, and representatives around the world, the organization would not be what it is without the tireless work of the group's Zoological Director, Richard Freeman (author of the acclaimed book, Dragons: More Than A Myth?); Deputy Director, Graham Inglis; and Art Director, Mark North.

Here at the Center for Fortean Zoology we have just added a great new book to the ever-growing list of currently available cryptozoological titles. The new one is Big Bird, from Texas-based cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard, and which is a study of sightings of giant, monstrous bird-like beasts in the United States.

I will leave it to CFZ Director, Jon Downes to explain the background to how and why the CFZ came to publish this much-needed title:

"I have been interested in cryptozoology for about forty years now, and have been working professionally at it since about 1990. Of the main groups of mystery animals, one of the most shamefully neglected are the flying monsters; `things with wings`, as Janet and Colin Bord once described them. It was a flying monster, which provided me with the first big challenge of my cryptozoological career.

"I spent some years on the track of a zooform entity known as `The Owlman of Mawnan`; a grotesque flying `thing` that terrorised girls and and young women in the vicinity of Mawnan Old Church in southern Coprnwall. It soon became obvious that the owlman was too fantastic a beast to be a bona fide flesh and blood animal. It was too strange, too weird, and furthermore it had been reported in a part of the world where the chances of a large, unknown species of flying animal were – realistically – very low indeed.

"However, during my researches, I quickly discovered that the owlman was only one of a whole host of giant winged creatures that had been reported across the globe. In 1932-3 – for example - the Percy Sladen Expedition went to West Africa. In charge of the team was Ivan T. Sanderson, a well-known cryptozoologist and writer.

"While in the Assumbo Mountains in the Cameroons, they made camp in a wooded valley near a steep banked river. They were out hunting near the river when Sanderson shot a large fruit-eating bat. It fell in the water, and as Sanderson was carefully making his way in the fast moving current, he lost his balance and fell. He regained his balance when his companion suddenly shouted 'Look out!' And I looked. Then I let out a shout also and instantly bobbed down under the water, because, coming straight at me only a few feet above the water was a black thing the size of an eagle. I had only a glimpse of its face, yet that was quite sufficient, for its lower jaw hung open and bore a semicircle of pointed white teeth set about their own width apart from each other. When I emerged, it was gone. George was facing the other way blazing off his second barrel. I arrived dripping on my rock and we looked at each other. 'Will it come back?' we chorused. And just before it became too dark to see, it came again, hurtling back down the river, its teeth chattering, the air 'shss-shssing' as it was cleft by the great, black, dracula-like wings. We were both off-guard, my gun was unloaded, and the brute made straight for George. He ducked. The animal soared over him and was at once swallowed up in the night.

"Bernard Heuvelmans – 'The Father of Cryptozoology', reprinted this story in his seminal 1958 work, On the Track of Unknown Animals. However, Sanderson’s original account had also been an inspiration to the man who was my greatest hero; the coinservationist and zookeeper Gerald Durrell (1925-95). He even spent time on two of his West African expeditions in 1949 and 1957 trying to find the beast. Well, I thought, if both Durrell and Heuvelmans take such accounts seriously, then there must be something in it.I can’t remember when I first heard of the North American `Big Birds`, but it must have been in the late 1980s. The stories fascinated me, and I wished dearly that someone could write a book specifically about them.

"In 2004 I was in America making a pilot for a TV series for Discovery. Although the series was never made, and I never got paid, the trip was by no means a failure. One night, after I had spent the day interviewing witnesses to a strange, blue, dog-like creature outside San Antonio in Texas, I met up with Texan cryptozoologist, and musician Ken Gerhard, and his lovely wife Lori. It soon became obvious that we had a heck of a lot in common, and by the end of the evening we were firm friends. We spent hours talking about our various projects, and promised that we would collaborate on various ventures in the future.

"It was only at the end of the evening when Ken – almost as an afterthought – told me that he was planning to write a book about the `Big Bird` reports. Was he, I asked diffidently, looking for a publisher? It turned out that he was, and so, one balmy November night in San Antonio, only a stone’s throw from The Alamo, with the sounds of crickets, treefrogs, and the trickle of running water from the hotel’s ornamental fountain, in the air, the deal was done.

"Just over two years later, I find myself sitting in my study in rural North Devon, reliving the memories of that night. Ken, old friend: It is a true honour to be able to publish such a remarkable book.Buy it now on Amazon."

As The Real Men in Black demonstrates, Mothman, the Loch Ness Monster, the Chupacabra, and perhaps even the legendary "Thunderbird Photograph" have attracted the attention of the MIB.

And, in a real scoop, I detail in my book the very creepy MIB encounter of legendary cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman himself...

THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE WOODS: A Transatlantic Hunt for Monsters and the Mysterious

Contains the latest news on Bigfoot, Werewolves, The Thunderbird, Devil-Dogs, Big-Cats, and much more. For all the details, including purchase-information, click on the book-cover image above, or check out: http://www.anomalistbooks.com/redfern2.html

MONSTERS OF TEXAS

NOW AVAILABLE (Click on the book-cover for more information)

MAN-MONKEY: In Search Of The British Bigfoot

"This book is an important contribution to the annals of furry, upright creature lore and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in unidentified animals," Linda Godfrey, author of "The Beast of Bray Road" and "Hunting the American Werewolf."

MEMOIRS OF A MONSTER HUNTER: A Five-Year Journey In Search Of The Unknown

"This is one of the best books I've read in years," Joshua P. Warren, author of "Pet Ghosts" and "How to Hunt Ghosts."

CONFESSIONS OF A MONSTER HUNTER

I am the author of many books, including "A Covert Agenda;" "The FBI Files;" "Cosmic Crashes;" "Strange Secrets (with Andy Roberts);" "Three Men Seeking Monsters;" "Body Snatchers in the Desert;" "On the Trail of the Saucer Spies;" "Celebrity Secrets;" "Man-Monkey;" "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter;" "There's Something in the Woods;" "Science Fiction Secrets;" "Contactees;" "Monsters of Texas" (with Ken Gerhard); "Final Events;" "The NASA Conspiracies;" "Space Girl Dead on Spaghetti Junction;" "The Real Men in Black" and "Keep Out!"
Proudest achievement: knowing all the lyrics to every one of the songs recorded by The Macc Lads.
Contact me at Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=553360287